Juilliard awaits local teenager Deri Hill

Deri Hill and Jason Rankin have recently combined
dancing skills to form Genesis. They’d love to hear
from more dancers.

Deri Hill. Ain’t no stopping these dancing feet now.

Monday, August 30, 2004

Not too long ago, 17-year-old Deri Hill of George Town sat in the Marquee Cinema and watched the movie Save the Last Dance and dreamed about the life of a hip-hop dancer.

One year from now, Deri will step fully into that dream when she arrives at The Juilliard School in New York City, an institution recently named “the hottest school for the arts” by Newsweek magazine.

The St Ignatius High School graduate remembers a time when she was small and listened to Michael Jackson and Aliyah. It was then that she first tried some dance moves and grew inspired to learn about hip-hop and urban dance moves.

At the age of nine, Deri began dancing in a group called Performance Unlimited. At a school function, the director of Performance Unlimited approached her and invited her to join. “I was surprised. I thought Cayman was too small for a dance group,” Deri said.

She learned some rudimentary moves and her desire to seek and explore further led her to the group Spotlight Unlimited.

With Spotlight Unlimited she gained more confidence and grew more skilled in the urban, hip-hop scene. Her group performed at many functions including Miss Teen, Talent Shows at the Harquail Theatre, and a trip to Cayman Brac for a show there.

Awards started to come her way as she won trips to various countries. Her last dance group was The Main Source.

Her real commitment to the wonders and work of dance shone through the evening she watched Save the Last Dance at the Marquee Cinema. Inspired by Julia Stile’s character’s determination and expressive creativity as she dreamed of attending Juilliard, Deri immediately went to the Internet and looked up the United States’ leading school for the arts.

Her curiosity did not stop at the Internet. “The very next day I called the Head of Student Services at Julliard. She told me that I would have to audition and send in some tapes of me performing,” Deri said.

The excitement turned to insecurity. “I kind of felt insecure,” she said. “Grand Cayman is such a small island. I couldn’t stop thinking about New York City and the dancers there being better, more developed and more talented.”

Deri pushed on. She submitted her paperwork to Julliard and taped her performance videos. “Three weeks later, in September 2003, I got call from the dance instructor at Juilliard. He told me I did not have to audition, that I had been accepted after they had watched my tapes,” Deri said.

The dance instructor had more than words of acceptance to share with ecstatic Deri. “He told me that my style was different and that with training and work it could develop into a world-renowned style.” Before the excitement took full hold of her, Deri had to explain to Juilliard that paying for school could be difficult. “He told me not to worry about funding because my dance style was rare and seldom seen in the world of dance,” Deri said.

Within a matter of weeks Deri received a fax from the school telling her she had received a full scholarship for the dance portion of her education, and that her family would have to cover the academic costs.

Deri plans to study business to complement her work experience with Cable & Wireless as a Sales Representative.

One of the biggest influences on her blossoming career has been her grandmother, Marjorie Bodden. “She stood by me and pushed me,” says Deri, “She wouldn’t let me give up.”

Her whole family played a big part as well, with her parents, Heith and Dale, and brother Chaz contributing enormously to Deri’s success along the way.

Deri’s mother often suggested new movements. Friends Brian, Irka, and Elkie always stood by her. Aunt Zelda Kelehar ceaselessly encouraged her, too.

That this is more than a teenager falling a far-stretched dream is evident when Deri explains the feelings she experiences when in the midst of a movement. “I feel like I’m in another place where no one can touch me. This place is where I want to be, like how people sometimes have a happy place.

“It’s me just standing there. I’m not in a spotlight. No one is watching and I can do whatever I want because no one will be there to be critical of me,” she said.

At present, after taking time off to look back on what she really wanted to do with dance and feeling it was not leading anywhere, Deri recently teamed up with Jason Rankin to from the dance group Genesis. Jason spoke about working with Deri. “She’s pretty confident, energetic, always willing to practice, and up for anything,” he said.

Her young life has taught her much and Deri has much to share with her fellow teenagers of the Cayman Islands. “It might sound far-fetched, but you should reach for the moon, because even if you miss, you will land among the stars,” she said.

She continued sharing advice based on what she has learned through dance. “Don’t let anyone put you down. Hold your head up. Be optimistic. If you say you are always going to fail, you will. There will always be times when things are hard. You just need to hold up,” she said.

For the next year, Deri will continue working at Cable & Wireless to save for Juilliard and perform with Genesis, while practicing constantly at King’s Sports Centre.

As for New York and Juilliard one year from now, “It’s an upbeat city and that’s the type of person I am,” she said.

Reader comments:

• Congrats Deri! I am with you all the way - Auntie Babs

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